The Pond King

After doing lots of research and digging through many old forum posts, I decided to do something completely radical, and decided to get the Avid 6' 8" MXF Casting rod. I realized that I have a need for a 6' 8" MXF Casting rod because I don't currently have one in my line up. Thanks for steering me away from the E6X guys. I was sooo close to getting the E6X.

If you say that there are better choices in that price range, what other 7' Medium Fast rods do you recommend in the $200 or so price range?

Hi all, First and foremost, I hope everyone is staying safe and secure during these crazy times! Anyways, I’m writing to you because I am having a difficult time deciding which rod to choose between the St. Croix Avid Spinning 7’ Medium Fast and G. Loomis E6X 842S SJR. The rods are both exactly the same price and have similar components and warranties. They’re also both made in the USA. They are definitely direct competitors with each other in the marketplace. The backstory is, I ordered a Daiwa Tatula Spinning Rod 7' Medium – not the Elite – the one with the cork handle, but my order never got delivered due to being out of stock because of the coronavirus. It’s been six months since I’ve ordered it, so American Legacy has offered to make things right and said I could choose a rod up to $200. That’s why now I’m contemplating the G. Loomis E6X and St. Croix Avid. Two very good rods for the money. For reference, I own a St. Croix Avid Casting 7’ MHF, AvidX 6’ 6” MF Casting, and an Avid 6’ 9” MLXF Spinning. I also own G. Loomis GLX 842C, GLX 843C, and a GLX 844C. Now, I know that you can’t compare a GLX to an Avid because they are completely different price points. The GLX has far superior sensitivity and balance over the Avid, of course. Out of my Avid lines, I’ve been really impressed with the sensitivity and balance of the AvidX 6’ 6” MF casting rod, and also enjoy fishing my Avid 6’ 9” MLXF spinning rod. However, the Avid 7’ MHF casting rod is somewhat of a broomstick, bulky, feels dead for sensitivity, and is slightly tip heavy. It works well as a moving bait rod though for spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, and swim jigs though, but I hardly ever use those techniques as a recreational fisherman. I have not had any experience with E6X rods other than for handling a few at a Bass Pro Shops. I really want your guys’ opinion on making the right decision as these rods are really neck to neck, in my opinion. If you had to choose one between a St. Croix Avid Spinning 7’ Medium Fast versus the G. Loomis E6X 842S SJR which one would you go for and why? Best regards, The Pond King

I also bought the G. Loomis CR722 IMX today for $178. There was only two left in stock on that site, and it’s sold out everywhere else. I’ve been looking everywhere for the old school CR722 IMX as they’ve been sold out everywhere for a while, but I’ve been continually searching for it incessantly because I really wanted it and was bummed out I didn’t buy it when I had a chance a long time ago. I got lucky today. You did too! G. Loomis has discontinued the old Classic series. The classic series are now only available in the IMX PRO line. I prefer the super old school look with big foregrips in this case because I intend to use it as a jerkbait and topwater rod and that foregrip will come in handy. The G. Loomis CR722 IMX was recommended to me from people on this forum as the best 6’ length casting rod available. I emailed G. Loomis and asked what changed with the IMX PRO, and why they discontinued the old school classic CR722 IMX for the IMX-PRO 722C CR. They told me it was updated for aesthetics, and they also told me that the IMX PRO is lighter and more sensitive, but I take the latter part with a grain of salt. I also didn’t like that they got rid of the big foregrip because for my intended purposes, I prefer having the big foregrip as I’ve mentioned, and it completes that classic old school look. I visited Cabela’s for the first time today as I’m in Texas for business right now, and I got to handle the E6X and IMX PRO. The E6X is an excellent rod for the money. It’s way better than the Avid, in my opinion which is in the same competitive $200 price point. However, on the other hand, I did not find the IMX PRO as impressive as it should be for a $350 rod. It’s way overpriced and didn’t feel anymore balanced or sensitive in my hands compared to the E6X. I don’t see how they can justify charging $150 more for an IMX PRO when it’s not noticeably better than an E6X, a $200 rod. The GLX, is worth the extra cost for me personally though - albeit $250 more than the E6X - because I’ve noticed significant improvement in the sensitivity, balance, and weight. In conclusion, we got really lucky with the old school CR722 IMX. For $178, we truly got it for a steal, and it’s gonna be a rod no other anglers will be able to have anymore because they are discontinued. I’m so glad I got lucky today with the old school CR722 IMX! You should too! We scored big time. Hope this helps! Fish on!

..what is the ONE lure that you can count on to catch fish? For me, it's the Kalin's 3" Lunker Grub in Smoke Salt Pepper color on 1/8oz darter or ball head jig. It out fishes even the senko in my experience, and it equally catches smallmouth, spotted, and largemouth bass effectively. I have a smorgasbord of lures, but at the end of the day, when I really need to catch something and the bite is tough, the Kalin's 3" grub always saves the day. I'm curious to find out what others like to use when bite is tough or if you just want to have a maximum chance of catching something. If you could only choose one lure to save the day what would it be?

Thanks fishwizzard! The rabbit hole just keeps getting deeper and deeper. I just found out about the JDM Deps rods. I bet most people have never even heard of Deps in the US because I sure as hell didn't know about them until now, and I'm an up and coming, aspiring, tackle enthusiast. I'm leaning towards the Deps Constrictor HGC-64XS/GP over the MegaBass Super Orochi XXX F5-68K now... ??? JDM tackle and gear is a whole new world I know very little about. Does the rabbit hole have a bottom or is it like a black hole? Guess there’s only one way to find out.

I'm surprised that the vast majority of people have very little information and knowledge about MegaBass rods. I already knew this was specialized knowledge, so I didn't expect a ton of responses, but I'm just taken aback that all I got were essentially references. I didn't know it was that specialized. The rabbit hole just keeps getting deeper as I've gotten more and more into acquiring high end fishing gear. Graduating from G. Loomis to getting my doctorates in MegaBass is a lot harder than I anticipated. Same thing is happening at work. I am getting a more advanced technical knowledge and even the engineers can't answer my questions. That's besides the point. I digress. Yes, I first found out about this rod because of a post made by Gary. I was also referred to talk to Mark Perry from someone the *** boards. I'm going to investigate this further and will share this information with you guys. And NathanDLTH and FrogMann, thanks for your additional recommendation on what rod to get. BaitFinesse, thanks for the additional info as well.

Hi guys, I’m thinking about picking up my first MegaBass rod. I want to get a MegaBass Super Orochi XXX F5-68K. I’ve researched the living crap out of it. However, there really isn’t much information about this rod, so I’m going to have to ask the enthusiasts on this board. I have been getting into collecting high-end jerkbaits like Lucky Craft Pointers, Duo Realis Jackall, and the coveted MegaBass Vision 110. However, I have a “need” to start getting into deep diving jerkbaits and larger sized jerkbaits such as the MegaBass Vision 110 Magnum, MegaBass Vision 110+1 and +2, LuckyCraft StaySee, LuckyCraft Point 128SP, etc. I also want to throw 1oz topwater pencil stickbaits like the LuckyCraft Sammy 128 on this rod. I’ve heard that this rod is versatile, and it can be used for any moving baits including spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, and crankbaits as well. Here are my questions: This rod’s specifications are 6’ 8” Medium-Heavy power with a “Regular” action. What does “Regular” action mean? Does that mean Moderate? How is the rods power? For example, is it really stiff like a St. Croix Medium Heavy which is actually closer to a true Heavy or is it like a true Medium Heavy 3 power G. Loomis or does it have a tip of 2 power G. Loomis but has a backbone of a 4 power. I don’t want an overly stiff broomstick of a rod but understand that that sometimes a stiff heavy power rod is necessary and ideal for fishing heavy cover or working heavier and or higher resistance baits. The reason I don’t like stiff heavy powered rods anymore is because I am a recreational fisherman. I like the rod to bend because it makes it so much for fun when fighting a fish. Moreover, how is the sensitivity? Also, can this rod double up and fish lighter jerkbaits like the original MegaBass Vision 110 and even smaller jerkbaits like 3/8oz sizes such as the LuckyCraft Pointer 78? Can this rod handle a weight slightly over the recommended specs of 3/8-1oz? For example, can it throw a Whopper Plopper 130 that weighs 1 and 3/8ths of an ounce without a problem? I just can’t do the MegaBass Destroyer F4.5-611X ONETEN SPECIAL because for one, it’s almost 7’. That is too long for a jerkbait in my opinion; at least, for my preference. Even the F5-68K is pushing it at 6’ 8”. Secondly, I’m not trying to drop $400+ on a Destroyer when I already went crazy bezerk buying $1000 worth of gear and tackle this past Black Friday. Instead of the MegaBass Destroyer F4.5-611X ONETEN SPECIAL, I’m going to purchase a G. Loomis Classic 6’ Medium Fast CR722 IMX to handle my lighter jerkbait needs and prefer the shorter 6’ length for jerkbaiting. It makes sense to me to have a shorter rod for jerkbaiting because you have to jerk the rod tip down and I don’t want to have to worry about the rod tip hitting any obstructions.

Hi guys, I really want to thank you last time for the feedback you guys provided me. It really helped with my buying decisions. Unfortunately, the gear monkey is back again, and I can’t shake him off. I’ve read a really good article on TackleTour on the St. Croix Legend Elite 7’ medium power fast action casting rod giving it a stellar review found here: http://www.tackletour.com/reviewstcroixlegendeliteec70mf.html. I know that the review found on that article is pretty in-depth and goes into a lot of detail, and I know that it is given by a credible source. However, I want to hear some reviews by the members here as well. I’ve scoured a lot of sites to see user reviews and did not find much. There were only three reviews on TackleWarehouse. If any of you own the latest rendition of the St. Croix Legend Elite of any model in the line, I’d love to hear from you. I already own a good amount of St. Croix rods, and I’m well aware that their build quality is superb. However, I’m really curious how the latest Legend Elite’s sensitivity compares to the equivalent G. Loomis rods. I’ve heard that the sensitivity isn’t quite on par with NRX. People say it’s more in between the IMX and GLX in terms of sensitivity. For reference, I own latest GLX rods, and I actually own the previous model St. Croix Legend Elite rods albeit two piece salmon steelhead rods. Not saying it’s not sensitive, but I don’t think the Legend Elite rods come anywhere close to how sensitive as my GLX rods are. However, at the same time, I don’t think it’s a fair comparison because they are two piece rods, so it’s not an apples to apples comparison. Secondly, I’m also interested in getting a new spinning rod as well. There was another really good article on TackleTour that also gave stellar reviews of their 7’ MLF spinning rod: http://www.tackletour.com/reviewstcroixles70mlf.html. Can this rod a hold a candle to the Conquest 842 SJR? How is the power on this rod as I know St. Croix runs a little heavier that what they rate. Is it closer to a medium or is it a true medium light? Any user input on this rod would be greatly appreciated! Thanks, The Pond King

So check this out guys: 1. Here's a pic of the Kistler Helium 3's cork, a rod that retails for $300, compared to a Daiwa DX combo (I bought the combo for $20.. it's a good channel catfish rod lol). Can you believe the cork on the Helium 3 is of the same quality cork as a $10 rod?! It's unacceptable: 2. Here's a picture of the Kistler Helium 3 compared to a St. Croix Avid which is a much cheaper rod, but it has a superior cork handle. Although I think the regular, original Avid - not the Avid X - is a heavy blank and not that sensitive, the build quality is top notch: 3. Here's a picture of the Kistler Helium 3 compared to a G. Loomis GLX 844c. I think the GLX has the nicest cork, but the Avid is right up there. They're both grade A cork. I also have Legend Elite rods, and as far as I can tell, it's about the same cork as the Avid. All of the rods above have been sealed with U40. I U40'd the hella out of the Kistler. I gave it four coats of U40. I know that they recommend to only give one light coat of U40 in the instructions, but at the very least, I always like to do two coats. A tip a got from my uncle who used to paint and also fishes. With a cheapo cork like the ones on Kistlers, I gave it a 4 coats, and it came out well. It made the spongey feeling cheap cork feel go away, and it's much more hardened now and feels rock solid, and doesn't really feel all that plastic-y either. I'm still flabbergasted how a $300 rod has the same cork that a $10 rod has, and if all the accounts here are true, the Z Bones also use the same cheap cork. What's misleading is that I've seen advertising videos on my Facebook feed, where they drill a cork handle and dust poofs out, and they say use they use premium Portuguese cork; I tried looking for this video on YouTube, but it's nowhere to be found. Why market that your rods use premium cork when they don't? That's kind of misleading and false advertising. And again, since they're split grips, there's not much cork is being used. Hell, even the foregrip and butt is foam. I don't want to sound like I'm griping or being nitpicky, but c'mon Trey, why'd you go cheapskate on the cork?? Don't get me wrong, the rest of the rod is nice especially the blank, and the build quality on the rest of the rod is good i.e. the threading, but details like the cork matter to me especially when I'm paying a higher price for it.

First of all, I want to say thanks to everyone who replied. It's pretty cool to have some of the forums heavy hitters reply and offer help and advice. I really appreciate it. Trust me, I did my due diligence and looked up everything I could on my own first, but there's always knowledge that can't be found on a Google search or in books. You have to pick people's brains, and it's nice to get insight from some of the best and brightest from this forum. I figured the same, but I'm actually surprised a decent amount of people responded. That's good to know! I haven't broken too many rods, so now, the warranty isn't a great selling factor to me as it once was. Yeah, I know about that sale that's why I swooped one up albeit a Helium 3. And I agree. I've seen build quality issues on some models of G. Loomis rods. I've handled some NRXs, and even owned an NRX and returned it because I was so disappointed with the build quality. The cork was so low grade, and it was tip heavy. Maybe it was that particular model I had, but it didn't even feel all that sensitive either. I didn't like the recoil guides either. Definitely didn't feel like a $500 rod. On the other hand, I've been very happy with the new G. Loomis GLX MBRs. Wow. You've got quite a collection there. You're elite. Also, great insight on the ZBone's LMH. I've been wanting to get the 6' 9" 3 power LMH. Guess the way you're describing it, it's more like a G. Loomis 2 power. This is what I wanted. These days, I like to fish as light as powered rods I can get away with instead of broomsticks because it's more fun when the rod bends. Very good info! Good to know. Thanks for your input! I especially appreciate your input as someone who's had both! Yeah, I remember seeing that thread. You're the boss! You're a baller, shot caller! Millionaire status! The true 1% of the 1%. So rich and elite! I love it. I want to get on your level one day. There's so many things I wanna buy lol. Correct me if I'm am wrong, but I presume you're talking about the previous model ZBones? Even so, I'm not surprised you thought it was better than the NRX. I really think the NRX was the most overhyped rod ever. Appreciate your input. It's good to hear there's a mix. Some people prefer one over the other. Basically these rods are both on that level. It's unbeatable! At this price, we should buy two Zbones, and it'll be just a little bit more than one Conquest. The cork on the NRX was terrible, but the GLX rods have impeccable cork. I've been quite disappointed in the cork on the Helium 3, however. For a rod that retails $300, the cork is garbage and full of fillers. The blank is nice, but the cork is absolute trash. I'm gonna U40 the hell out of it. Probably give it 3 coats. Even much cheaper rods have high quality cork handles. It's really unacceptable for a $300 rod.

Hi all, I've been researching heavily online for the new Kistler 2019 Z Bone rod. Unfortunately, there really isn’t much recent information out there. It also seems like there are way more G. Loomis owners then there are people who own Kistlers, so the information on these rods are much more scarce than there are for G. Loomis rods. Moreover, the information that's out there is old information on the previous generations of Z Bones. From what I’ve found in my research, it seems like Kistler has left a bad taste in a lot customers and even retailers mouths because they didn’t honor the warranty and a lot of rods were breaking. I think it makes sense because they are sourcing the blanks from North Fork Composites, and I’ve heard horror stories of their customer service. I’ve also heard the newer rods don’t have much of a breakage issue though I cannot verify if this is true. These days, the warranty issue doesn’t matter that much too me anymore since I have not broken that many rods - especially on a fish. With care, rods can last a lifetime. Anyways, the Z Bone has piqued my interest since it came out, but I've been even more interested since purchasing a Kistler 2019 Helium 3 7' 10" Heavy power Moderate action rod last week. It came in the mail a couple days ago, and I'm quite impressed with the Helium 3. It's a tad tip heavy, but for a rod of its length it's really not that bad. The sensitivity is great. It's not as good as my GLX 844c (the newer 2016 one), but for the $219 I got it on sale for, it beats any rod I've bought in that price range by far. I’m now interested in purchasing a Kistler 2019 Z Bone. However, I’m curious how this rod would compare to Shimano-G. Loomis Conquest. Does anyone own both? And if so, could you give a comparison of which blank is more sensitive? Ultimately, I care about the sensitivity as the number one factor in purchasing a high-end rod. However, I’m also interested in hearing about other characteristics like balance, ergonomics, whether it’s light weight, build quality are all important to me as well. Durability isn’t the most important feature I’m looking for in a high-end rod, but at the same time, I don’t want my rod to shatter. So could anyone chime in on other characteristics as well such as the balance, ergonomics, weight, build quality (cork, threading, guides, etc.) and how these rods fare against each other? Thanks, The Pond King

Hey guys, I am thinking about buying a pair of polarized Ray Bans - Aviator style. I feel like they are a good middle ground between fashion and utility. Just curious, does anyone use Ray Bans for fishing? If so, how are your experiences with them? I'm also looking into investing in another pair of sunglasses with the darkest lenses possible. Often times, I can be out on the water and the glare from the lake is just too strong even with polarized sunglasses on, or there are times when I'm driving and the glare from the cars in front of me are too strong. I really want to protect my eyes from staring at strong, bright glare for prolonged periods of time. Do you guys have any recommendations for really dark polarized sunglasses? Thanks, The Pond King

You can never have too many!

@GreenPig I have considered the Daiwa DX's as well. The DX's look like a good rod for the money, but I am looking for a something a little nicer. @MassYak85 and @Smalls I'm not sure how I feel about going custom. It's just that I've never gone custom before, so I'm not that comfortable venturing into the unknown in this case. Thanks to everyone here who's helped make recommendations and suggestions. i really appreciate it. It has helped me a lot to choose confidently now.

Hi NorcalBassin! I'm looking for an all around rod. The IMX-PRO 965C SWBR looks real nice. You're right, WRB. I agree with ya. I was thinking the same thing: this rod, while rated up to 6oz, it's sweet spot would probably be around 3-4 ounces.

Hey guys, I'm in the market for a swimbait rod. I'm really close to pulling the trigger on a Phenix M1 Swimbait Casting Rod in 8' Heavy. I've felt this rod in hand at the store and have been really impressed. For a rod of it's power and length, it's really light, balanced, and sensitive. I also like the asthetics of it as well. This would be my first rod from Phenix. I've researched other brands and could not find one that I thought was better than the Phenix M1 and would like to hear your recommendations as I highly value them. I don't have any budgetary restrictions. The sky is the limit, so you can recommend to me any stick whether its a good bang for the buck rod or the most high end. Best regards, The Pond King

There's not much better than a G. Loomis GLX 842c paired with a Metanium MGL spooled with Daiwa J Braid in chartreuse. Trying to save up for a Conquest 842s and already pulled the trigger on an Stradic CI4+ 3000. Maybe this set up will be the ultimate senko rod in the future, but for now, the GLX and Metanium are more than enough.

For sure the Yamamoto D-Shad. It was actually @TOXIC who recommended this bait to me on one of my previous threads. I've been really impressed with this bait. You can work it exactly like a senko where the initial fall will produce a lot strikes and then continue to work it back by sweeping up your rod and let it fall again on semi slack line. You can also work it like a hard jerk bait by popping the slack. The plastic is heavy enough that you can fish it without a weighted hook. The tail shimmies quite a bit. I'd say it's slightly more pronounced than the senko. It has a bit more higher frequency then a senko's wobble. I think this bait goes under the radar and is very underrated. It's essentially a fluke shaped senko. Looks super realistic and a really high quality bait. There was a sale at Cabela’s not long ago for these baits. They were selling it for $2.88 a pack, so I bought like $50 bucks worth of them.

Hey guys, Sorry for the super late response. I really can't believe it was a month ago when I posted this.. time really flies when you're busy and working like crazy and trying to become successful. Hell, I've become more of a tackle and gear collector than I am a fisherman these days. I still obsess about fishing everyday, and I "waste" a lot of my time reading about fishing and lurking on forums. Smh...it's so sad lol, but I did get to go out this past weekend. Anyways, I pulled the trigger and bought the CI4 3000 after seeing the eBay coupon that was posted on here a little while ago and after being influenced by the answers in this thread. I got problems I tell ya! And this forum here is like alcoholics anonymous.. except no one here is trying to quit. We all enable each other lmao! I can't tell you how many times I pulled the trigger and bought impulsively because of the forums lol. Hey @jbsoonerfan, if you could do that, that would be sooo awesome man! I would gladly pay you for it + shipping for your efforts. Thanks for the kind offer. Curious @mrpao, why did you buy the 2500 and the 3000 when they're same in every respect except line capacity? Also, do you know if the spools are interchangeable? I don't mean to inconvenience you, but if you could check to see if that's the case, I would really appreciate it. Hey @fishballer06, I've looked high and low.. all over online, and couldn't find a paddle that's compatible with the CI4+ 3000 for $5-10 bucks. I even looked at the schematics and tried looking for the part number with no success. Do you know which sites I could buy that at? Thanks in advance!

Hey guys, I'm planning on buying a Shimano Stradic Ci4+, and I wanted to know what kind of knobs the 3000 size has? I want the 3000 size because it weighs the same as the 2500 while having extra line capacity, but I prefer the smaller knobs. It's not clear to me by looking at the pictures in online stores. If you own a Ci4+ 3000, could you let know if it has the big knobs or small knobs? Thanks, TPK

I have one in mint condition - essentially, brand new as I've only used it twice - that I'm willing to let go of if you're interested.

I have the regular Avid version of this, and it was the first St. Croix rod that I tried out and started out with. This rod was what made me become a fan of St. Croix. It's a great rod. Love the taper. It also has the perfect amount of power that I look for in a spinning rod (it's not too noodle-y and not too stiff), and has good sensitivity. I have also have an Avid X (6' 6" Medium Fast casting), and I find that even though the regular Avid and the Avid X are the same blanks, for the some reason the Avid Xs are much more sensitive and better balanced. I used to think that the only difference between the regular Avid and Avid X would simply be one's personal preference of having a full cork grip or split grip. I like the traditional looking rods with full cork grips and for this reason, I have a couple of regular Avids, but in my hands, the Avid Xs feel so much better. To answer your question, although I wouldn't primarily use this rod for roostertails and cranks, I have. With up to 1/4oz rooster tails, I've had no problems, and they seem to stay buttoned up even though it has an extra fast action because the rod's power is soft enough to allow it to bend easily to absorb the shocks. However, with squarebills, even with small ones, the rod flexes too much from the resistance. I think small jerkbaits would work fine on this rod. But really, this rod shines and excels for drop shots, ned rigs, split-shot rigs, throwing grubs on 1/8oz jigheads, neko rigging, wacky rigging and other finesse techniques.

Yes, I agree. There are plenty of quality rods made overseas. I think rods that are manufactured overseas are pretty good nowadays as a lot of those countries have improved their quality in manufacturing goods. I own plenty of fishing gear made overseas myself. It's just that when it comes to buying fishing rods, I just prefer buying USA made and eventually a JDM Megabass rod. When it comes to reels, I don't think you can get anymore higher quality reels than from Daiwa and Shimano which are Japanese OEMs. Thanks for the tip, rangerjockey! And thanks for letting me in on the Witch Doctor rods. I think they are very cool. I will if/when I get it. I would reconsider from the Voodoo II and get their flagship rod because I saw on their site that they have a sale for the 6' 10" Medium for $215 when it's originally $329 (https://witchdoctortackle.com/shaman-casting-rods/). Upon further research I think they use Rainshadow blanks, and if that's the case, these rods should be good.

Thanks guys for all of the replies! It's always a great to consult with you guys before making a final decision on purchasing any fishing gear. I always do my own research first, but there are limits to that. You guys always help me come up with choices that I would have never even imagined despite my own research. So, it seems there are three of you guys recommending the Dobyn's. Definitely something to something I'll consider. In my own research, I've also looked at the following below: - Quantum Tour KVD: I felt that for $160-170 MSRP for a Chinese made rod is not worth it imo. Just looks a like an overpriced cheap rod. The eva grip looks super cheap and don't like the micro guides. - St. Croix Legend Glass: I simply can't do the the orange blank. That is just plain ugly. I don't know what St. Croix was thinking. It reminds me of those god awful carrot stix. - Falcon HD 7' Medium power Moderate action casting rod: Although graphite, I think because of the moderate action it will be forgiving enough and because it's graphite it will be lighter and more sensitive. Despite it being yet another Chinese made rod, I like that fact that it only costs $70. I also like that classic design with cork grips. - G. Loomix GLX 783 CBR: Read a Tackle Tour review about this rod and while it looks amazing, I don't want to stomach paying $400 for a crankbait rod. As for the iRod Gensis, I have not considered these rods, but for much like the same reason as the Quantum Tour KVD, despite the iRod's rave reviews, I don't want to spend $150 for a Chinese made rod. I think the greatest find I found from asking which glass or best crankbait rod to get from this thread are the following below: The Witch Doctor Surman 50: Wow, I would've never even thought of getting this rod. It's cool because this rod is not really talked about much at all. I've never even heard about the Witch Doctor brand. I think I will be the only guy on the water with this rod, so it has a cool factor to it like being the first kid on the block with some cool shoes or something like that that no other kids have or eventually will copy you. Besides that, I like that it is made in the USA. I also like that this rods seems to use a higher quality EVA with a little bit of cork inlay instead of that cheap foamy type of EVA. Although, I don't prefer EVA, I think the only exception that I would make for EVA now is on my crank rods. Furthermore, I like that they use regular sized guides and not mini guides. I also think that the rod is aesthetically pleasing. It's maroon color and design is just nice looking. Finally, I like how it is offered in MH and M power rods. I see a lot of crankbait rods with MH power with Moderate Fast actions these. I'm going to go with the Medium power. Anyways, this one is the clear winner! Alpha Angler Rebound and Seeker Pro: These are also rods I would have never even considered, so thanks for suggesting them. I also like these rods as well especially because they are made in the USA. I just don't like the mini guides on them; although it should be a non factor for cranking - or rather anything for me, since I don't use leaders at all - I just don't prefer them. Anyways, thanks again guys for making some awesome suggestions. If there are any more suggestions that you guys might have on the best crank rod, I am open to hearing about them.